Grilled Baby Back Ribs

By Sam Sifton

Grilled Baby Back Ribs
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(1,616)
Comments
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We think of ribs as an all-day affair, the meat cooked in smoke and low heat until it begins to pull from the bone. But baby backs are quicker and can be grilled as well, and the result is delicious. This recipe benefits from a basting technique used by the chef and barbecue madman Adam Perry Lang, who thins out his barbecue sauce with water, then paints it onto the meat he’s cooking in coat after coat, allowing it to reduce and intensify rather than seize up and burn.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1cup barbecue sauce (see recipe)
  • 2racks baby back pork ribs, about 2¼ pounds each
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

844 calories; 53 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 9 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 23 grams sugars; 62 grams protein; 1353 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Build a fire in your grill, leaving one side free of coals. When coals are covered with gray ash and the temperature is medium (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds), you are ready to cook. (For a gas grill, turn all burners to high, lower cover and heat for 15 minutes, then turn burners to medium.)

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, combine barbecue sauce with 1 cup water and stir to combine. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Sprinkle the ribs generously with salt and pepper, put them on the grill directly over the coals and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once every 5 minutes or so, and basting with the thinned barbecue sauce, until a peek inside shows that the meat no longer has any pink at the center.

  4. Step 4

    Take the racks of ribs off the grill, cut them into individual ribs and serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,616 user ratings
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Comments

Judi

Recipe looks very simple. I would like a couple of things cleared up before I attempt. #1 Video shows ribs cooked NOT over coals, recipe says cook over coals. #2 Are ribs cooked with or without the lid on the grill?

Thomas Greisen

I always pull the membrane off the underside. This gives the sauce meat to soak into, instead of just sitting on the membrane.

Kevin Osinski

After trying this I think I'll stick with the "low and slow" method for pork ribs. Turning them every 5 minutes was a pain, although they were ready in half the time. With a good rub and a long cooking time they develop more flavor and cook more evenly.

Michael M

For a larger rack (about 3.3#) what should cooking time be using this method?

Mrs Sara

I braise mine in apple juice at 325 for an hour and a half before grilling.

Ryan Monaghan

WOW! Sam, thank for this gem of a recipe. My husband and I binge watched all of BBQ Showdown on Netflix and I was craving ribs, but thinking in my head they had to be an all-day affair. I saw this recipe pop up when I got the urge to grill today, and we were blown away at how tasty this came out. We used our pellet smoker/grill, I set it to 425. Took just a bit longer than 30 min, I tested with an instant thermometer until they were about 160F between the bones. I wrapped them in foil for a few min while my sides (baked beans in a can doctored up with maple syrup and hot sauce, and cornbread) were heating up. 13 out of 10, fantastic meal, easy for a weeknight. This is definitely going in our regular rotation.

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